Headlight



O. WINSTON.

- HEADLIGHT. APPLICATION LED MAR. 27, ISIE- RENEWED DEC. ,2, I919.

1,346,51 9, Patented July 13, 1920.-

2 SHEETS-QBEET' 1.,

5. 5y m5 A77'0R/VE16 az mmf 0. WINSTON. HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATION HL ED MAR- 27, 1916- RENEWED'DEC. I2, 1919.

1,346,519, 4 Patented July 13,1920.

2 SHEETS- 311551 2.

lJNlTElD STATES .PATENT QFFlQE.

OVER-TON WINSTON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

HEADLIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 27, 1916,-Seria1 No. 86,851. Renewed December 12, 1919. Serial No. 344,463Q

To all whom it may 0011mm.-

Be it known that I, OvnnroN lVrnsroN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State 01 Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Headlights; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description oil the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. A

My present. invention relates to headlights for automobiles and other vehicles and is in the nature of an improvement on or modification oi the bulb adjusting mechanism disclosed and claimed in my copending application S. N. 84773 filed of date, March 1?, 1910 and entitled Headlights, and also disclosed in certain other co-pending appli cations referred to in my said application just identified.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters inclicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken centrally through a headlight embodying my invention Fig. 2 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section on the line m m of Fig. 1, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the electromagnetic bulb shifting mechanism showing the same as removed from the headlight;

Fig. 4: is a section taken on the line 00 m of Fig. 1, someparts being shown in full; and

Fig. 5 is a front end elevation of the lamp socket with the lamp removed.

The numeral 1 indicates the casing of an ordinary headlight, such as used on automobiles, and the numerals 2 and 3 indicate,

. respectively, the reflector and lens or glass plate of the headlight. The electric light bulb 4L illustrated, is of the well known Edi swan single base type, but of course, other types maybe employed. As shown, however, this bulb has an outer contact sleeve 5 and an axial contact boss 6. The sleeve 5 of the light bulb is adapted to be telescoped into a holding collar 7 that is provided with an externally threaded eccentric portion '7 that performs a novel and highly important function presently to be described.

The metallic sleeve 5 of the light bulb is provided with three radially projecting lugs 8 adapted to be inserted into a corresponding'number of internal longitudinal grooves 9 formed in the collar 7. At the inner extremities of the grooves 9, the collar 7 is provided with an annular shoulder formed with corrugations or serrations 10 with which the lugs 8 are adapted to be engaged. The eccentric externally threaded portion 7 of the holding collar 7 is screwed into the internally threaded portion of the sleeve 11 in which is secured. an insulating plug 12 having axially mounted therein and projecting forward thereof, a spring-pressed contact plunger 13 that engages with the axial contact boss 6 of the light bulb, when the latter is in position. The so-called collar 7 and sleeve 11 constitute an axially adjustable lamp socket in which the sleeve 11 is the relatively fixed member and the collar 7 the relatively movable'member, inso tar as axial movements are concerned. The coiled spring let is preferably placed within the socket and compressed between the insulating plug 12 and the inner extremity of the eccentric portion 7 of the collar or movable section 7. The spring it puts increased frictional engagement between the threaded engagement oi members 7 and 11 and prevents accidental rotation of the said member 7 in respect to the said member 11. In the drawings, the numeral 15 indicates one of the leads of a lamp circuit and which, as shown, is connected to the spring-pressed contact plunger 13. The other lead of the circuit is not shown but will be of any suitable metallic part through which the other lamp terminates and is grounded by contact between the contact sleeve 5 and collar 7.

Provision is made for shifting the lamp socket so as to carry the filament of the light bulb toward and from the axis of the reflector 2. To this end, the lamp socket is preferably pivoted for oscillatory movement in a vertical plane and, as shown, this pivot is provided by pivot screws 16 adjustably mounted in a hollow supporting head 17 and provided with conical points that en gage small conical seats in the sides of the in" termediate portion of the sleeve 11. The head 17 has a threaded shank screwed into the hub, of an annular anchoring plate 18 that is secured to the back of the reflector 2 and surrounds an axial passage 2 in the latter. The front end of the holding collar 7 pro jects through the passage 2 and works with freedom for vertical and axial movements thereon.

For oscillating the lamp socket vertically,

I provide upperand lower electro-magnets '19, both of which are rigidly secured to and '20 to which, in turn, the respective upper and lower electro-magnets 19 are directly secured- At their inner extremities, the olectroemagnets are provided with pole pieces 19, and at their outer extremities The pole pieces 19' with pole pieces 19. act upon and limit the oscillatory movements of the sleeve 11 of the lamp socket, and they are preferably formed with concave cylindrical surfaces of the same curve as the said sleeve 11, so that extended; engagement therewith is afforded.

A small light spring 21, shown as a leaf spring, is anchored to the bearing head 17 and presses on the upper portion of the socket sleeve 11 at a point nearly above its pivot 16. This spring takes up all of the play which there may be between the conical ends of the pivot screws 16 and their seats in the sleeve 11, and hence, prevents rattling. 1

Small upper and lower lock levers 22' are intermediately pivoted to the upper and lower plates 20 and are provided at their inner ends, with lock heads 23. The outer ends of saidlevers 22 are yieldingly pressed outward by light springs 24 shown as an chored to the respective plates 20. The

outer ends of the said levers22serve as armatures that are adapted to be-r-etracted by the outer pole piece 19 of the respective electro-magnets. The circuit connections for the electro-magnets are not shown, but they are preferably independent of the lamp circuit and so arranged that either of. the electro-magnets be energized at will.

For illustration, let it be assumed that the externally threaded eccentric portion 7 of the holding collar 7 has its axis offset onethirty-second of an inch from the axis of the lamp holding portion of said collar. In this case, the best results are obtained by so mounting the sleeve 11 of. the lamp socket that itsaxis, when horizontal, will be parallel with, but offset vone-thirty-second of an inch from the axis of the reflector. With this arrangement, as is evident, when the lamp filament is at the axis of the lamp, such filament may, by rotation of the lamp and holding sleeve or movable section of the socket,jbe, turned to a: position in the axis of, the reflector. If the filament of the lamp should be; warped so that it is at one side of the axis of the lamp, the lamp should be rotated within the holding sleeve until the filament is carried to the circle described by the axis of the lamp when the holding sleeve 7 is rotated on its eccentric 7 and then by rotation of the said sleeve on its eccentric, the warped filament may be moved into the axis of the reflector. Thus it will be seenthat; by: these compound adjustments, the filament of the lamp, whether at the axis of the lamp or at one side thereof, may be properly set at the axis of the reflector, it of course, being assumed inthis statementthat the lamp socket is then in a horizontal position.

Axial adjustments of the lamp to bring the filament thereof to the focal center of the reflector are produced by rotation of the holding socket? and 7, under which rotation, of course, the threadedwengagement produces axial movementsof the said holding sleeve and lamp. Of course, these rotary movements of the holding collar shift the lamp filament transversely of the axis of the reflector, but if such rotary adjustments of the collar always be complete rotations, theneach rotation will always bring the lamp filament back to its properly set position. Furthermore, if the threads .on the eccentric 7 and in the sleeve 11 be very fine, then sufficiently accurate axial adjustment fol-focus may always be accomplished by imparting complete rotation tothe holdin collar. I

33y the means described, all of the required adjustments may be given to the lamp bulb by manipulation fromwithin the reflector, and in fact, by engagement with the lamp bulb itself. The contact plunger 13, as stated, is spring-pressed into engagement with the contact boss 6, and it therefore follows that the lugs 8 will be yieldingly held in engagement with the corrugations 10 so that if. the-lampbe turned without pressing the sameinward or backward, then the'collar 7 and its eccentric? will be rotated therewith. If, however, the 'lamp be first pressed rearward so as to disengage its lugs 8-from the corrugations 10, then the lamp may be rotated withinlthe said holding collar without rotating the latter. Thespring 14-. adds'an additional frictional engagement between the threadsof theeccentric 7 and sleeve 11, so that rotation of the collar 7 when the lamp is pressed rear-- ward and rotated, is further prevented.

In Fig. 1, the; full lines show the lamp socket lowered and thelamp raised so that its filament is then above the axis of the reflectorgas required for short distance projection of the light beams. In this position of the parts, the head 23 of the upper lock lever 22 is between the rear end ofthe socket sleeve 11 and the pole piece 1-9 -of the upper electro=magnet 19. lamp socket. is to be raised and the lamp moved downward so that its filament will WVhen the 1 teasers be at the axis of the reflector, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1,,the upper electromagnet 19 must be first energized. The first effect of this is to cause the 'pole piece 19" of the upper electro-magnet, acting on the upper lock lever 22, to move the head of the latter out of the path of movement of the rear end of the socket sleeve 11, second effect is to cause the electro-magnet to raise the lamp socket and lower the light bulb as stated. Under upward movement of the lamp socket, the head of the lower lock lever-22 is cammed outof the way, but when the said socket reaches its uppermost position, the spring 2% of the said lower lock lever will cause the head 23 of said lever to engage between the r ar end of the socket sleeve 11 and the pole piece 19" of the lower eleetro-magnet, thus locking the lamp socket in its raised position, with the filament of the lamp at the axis of the reflector. Of course, the reverse or downward movement of the socket is produced by energizing the lower magnets and under the downward movement thereof, the upper lock lever will be automatically engaged therewith and securely hold the same in its lowered position with the filament of the lamp above the axis of the reflector.

it will be noted further that the lamp socket, the magnet and lock levers are all supported by the removable supporting head 1'? so that the said elements may be all removable together as a self-contained in eratively connected structure. Removal of these parts of course, requires that the light bulb be first removed from the socket, because the light bulb will not pass through the opening 2 in the back of the reflector. Furthermore, when the said devices are applied in working position they are supported entirely from the reflector.

T he above described tln'ee-point interlocking connection between the lamp and socket is also important. Usually, one or sometimes two lock lugs and cooperating grooves are employed, but neither of such arrangements provides the best means for connecting the lamp socket. It is a well known fact that three points determine the position of a plane, and on the same principle, the engagement of the three lugs S, with three corrugations 10 will determine the position oi? the axis of the lamp in respect to the axis of the socket, it, of course, being assumed that there is some play between the contact sleeve 5 of the lamp and the surroululing seat therein in the holding collar 7.

This feature of the three-point contact is not herein claimed but is disclosed and claimed in my companion application S. N. 841,778, above noted.

In Fig. 1, the heavy dots marked y and 3 and the flector and when raised above the axis of the reflector by oscillatory movements of the lamp socket, and it will be noted that these extreme positions are vertical, one directly over the other. Otherwise and more broadly stated, the said two 1' and y are in a common plane that is at a right angle to the axis of the reflector. With a parabolic reflector and a light bulb of the US'ilill construction, the best results are obtained by arranging the lamp socket for the movements above described. flinch movement sets the lamp so that the projected beam will be free from dark rings, both in the adjustment for long beam projection and for the adjustment for the shorter range projection.

ll hat I claim is: r

1. A lamp holding socket comprising a relatively fixed sleeve and a lamp holding collar having threaded engagement therewith, in combination with a lamp rotatably adjustable in said collar and adapted to be set therein in different rotary adjustments in respect thereto.

2. A lamp holding socket comprising a relatively fixed sleeve and lamp holding collar having threaded engagement therewith, in combination with a lamp rotatably adjustable in said collar andadapted to be set therein in dilierent rotary adjustments in respect thereto, and a spring interposed between the said sleeve and collar for putting increased friction on the threaded engagement between the two.

3. In a headlight, the combination with a reflector and a socket support, of a lamp socket adjustably mounted on said support and comprising relatively fixed and movable sections, the one section being provided with a threaded eccentric portion having a threaded engagement with the other section, and an electric light bulb rotatively mounted in the adjustable section of said socket.

l. In a headlight, the combination with a reflector and a socket support, of a lamp socket adjustably mounted on said support and comprising relatively lined and movable sections, the one section being provided with a threaded eccentric portion having a threaded engagement with the other section, an electric light bulb rotatively mounted in the :uljustable section of said socket, and having releasable interlocking engagement therewith whereby the said bulb may be rotated therewith or independently thereof.

5. In a headlight, the combination with a reflector and a socket support, of a lamp socket adjustably mounted on said support and comprising relatively fixed and movable sections, the one section being provided with a threaded eccentric portion having a threaded engagement with the other section,

and comprising relatively fixed and movable sections, the one section being provided with a threaded o ec'centric portion having a threaded engagement with the other sectlon,

an electric light bulb rotatively mountedin V the adjustable section of said socket, and having releasable interlocking engagement therewith whereby the said bulb may be r0- tated therewith or independently thereof, and a spring increasing the friction between theengaging threads of said socket sections.

7. A lamp socket comprising an internally threaded sleeve, and aholding collar, the i V latter having an externally threaded eccen- V trio adjustably engaging the threaded portion of said socket sleeve, anda light bulb rotatively mounted in said holding collar. 8. A lamp socket comprising an internally threaded sleeve, and a holding collar, the

latter having 'an externally threaded eccentric. adjustably engaging the threaded portion of said socket sleeve, a light bulb rotatively mounted in said holding collar, and having releasable interlocking engagement therewith, whereby the said lamp may be rotated with or independently of said hold ing collar. j I

9. A lamp socket comprising an internally threaded sleeve, and aholding collar, the latter having an externally threaded eccentric adjustably engaging the threaded portion of said socket sleeve, a light bulbrotatively mounted in'said holding collar, and

a spring-pressed contact normallyv engaging an axial contact on the shank of. said light bulb and tending to maintain the interlockng engagement between the same and said holding collar. I 7

10, In a headlight, the combination with a reflector having an axial passage, of an anchoring plate secured to the back of said reflector andalined to axial passage thereof, a supporting head having threaded engagement with said anchoringplataa socket adjustably mounted on said supporting head in position to support a lamp within said reflector, and electro-magnetic devices for adjusting said socket, also mounted on said supportinghead, the said head,lamp socket and socket actuating means beingremovable from said reflector, as a self-contained operatively assembled structure.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. it

OVERTON' WINSTON.

Witnesses:

Bnnnron- G. WHEELER, HARRY D. Knconn. 

